A Highly Subjective, Deeply Practical Guide to Paris

Paris—the city of light, romance, and pickpockets. Come hungry, hold your bag close, and enjoy.

Culinary Pilgrimage

Bakery/Pastries: There are bakeries at every corner, most are good, but not all. Croissant Tip: Flat = bad. Puffy = good. The best meal in Paris remains grabbing a baguette tradition (ask for a tradi), stop by your local cheesemonger, pick up a seasonal cheese, a bottle of wine, and picnic in any park in your area: Luxembourg, Tuileries, Buttes-Chaumont, Monceau, etc.

E. Dehillerin: Industrial, old-world cookware store. Prices are in a binder at the cashier. You can combine this with a visit to Bourse du Commerce to see the Pinault Collection.

Marche des Enfants Rouges: Great variety, including famous Chez Alain Miam Miam for enormous, messy sandwiches.

For old timey cuisine francaise:

• Le Languedoc: Rustic, cheap, rude owners. Classic steak au poivre.
• Chez Georges: Wood-paneled institution, old-fashioned, traditional food. Great service, they are used to tourists/speak English.
• Square Trousseau: Great vibe, modern traditional.

If you keep kosher: Guide to kosher restaurants in Paris →

By Neighborhood

Le Marais

In the center of Paris, this neighborhood is highly walkable and great for shopping. It used to be an important jewish neighborhood and there are still many synagogues and kosher food in the area. A few highlights:

• Start at Hotel de Ville and to Centre Pompidou (Beaubourg), for modern and contemporary art. Worth going even just for the escalator views of Paris.
• From there you can make your way to Rue des Rosiers. Lots of food options there:
  • L’As du Falafel (Kosher): Best falafel in Paris. Long line, moves fast.
  • Boulangerie Murciano (Kosher): Sephardic baked goods.
• Le Loir dans le Théière: Cozy salon de thé, excellent cakes.
• Jardin des Rosiers: Small park just up the street where you can eat your falafel.
• You can continue to Place des Vosges; a picturesque square for a stroll or picnic.

The 5th

A personal favorite — historic, charming, lively. Walking tour:

• Start by grabbing a croissant at La Maison D’Isabelle (Maubert Mutualité).
• Walk up the street to Pantheon, and Biblioteque St Genevieve, and down rue Soufflot to Jardin du Luxembourg for a stroll.
• From there walk to the Pharmacy at Place Monge — good place to stock up on French skincare at local prices. (City Pharma at Les Halles is also a good option.)
• From there, make your way to Arenes de Lutece followed by Rue Mouffetard where you can find excellent crêpes. Best stand has a turquoise front. The small Rue du Pot de Fer, adjacent to rue mouffetard is where my grandparents had their cafe back in the day.
• From there walk to Grande Mosquée de Paris: stop by for Moroccan mint tea and pastries, or a relaxing time at the hammam.
• You can finish the day with a stroll through the botanical gardens Jardin des Plantes.

Louvre/Seine

• Start your day at opening of Le Louvre.
• Followed by sit down lunch at Le Nemours, just across from Palais Royal, or take away at Micho where you can find excellent challah sandwiches. If the weather is good, grab one to-go and picnic in Les Tuileries.
• From there, walk to Place de la Concorde and to Musée d'Orsay: a jewel for Impressionism/Realism. The top floor has a great view of Paris.
• After your visit, walk to Sainte Chappelle, Notre Dame and finish with a Berthillon ice cream at Ile St Louis.
• You can finish the day right by where you started at the Bar 228 at Le Meurice for a cocktail — fancy, plush, quiet, old-school.

Montmartre

At the top of Paris, the Sacre Coeur.

• You can start with a croissant at Boulangerie Raphaelle, and either walk up the steps or take the Funiculaire to the top for THE view.
• You can visit inside the Church and walk to the top.
• From there, it's a short walk to the touristy Place du Tertre, and a few simple solid restaurants in the area: La Bonne Franquette or Caboulot further down.
• You can walk around La Butte to digest.
• This area has the highest risk of pickpockets. Be careful and avoid having a lot of cash with you.

Belleville

Excellent for authentic Chinese, Vietnamese, Tunisian (get fricassé — spicy tuna sandwich), and Algerian (try Mhajbi, savory crêpes). Great area to buy spices and beat the tourist crowd. Nearby parks: Parc de Belleville, Parc des Buttes-Chaumont.